7 Must See Places in Malta and Travel Tips!

To start with, where is this place anyway? Well, Malta is an island located in the Mediterranean just a pickle away from Italy. In this post, I’ll show you around some of the gorgeous must-see places in Malta and as always, bomber you with TONS of beautiful photos of the island.

Thanks to the boom in the travel industry, traveling has been easily accessible to a lot of us. Malta is perhaps one of those countries you would not know it existed unless someone told you about it and since people are exploring more than ever, a lot of countries are shedding moolahs to promote their beautiful land of dreams. Malta is one of those countries because I really would not know about its existence if I didn’t saw a huge advertisement during one of my commutes to work.

So, to escape the wrath of Spring upon me (hello pollen allergies) my partner and I decided to visit Malta and Gozo to get a bit of sunshine and have the luxury of inhaling the smell of fresh sea water instead of pollen infested fresh air in Finland. It was certainly a last minute decision (as always, that’s how we roll) but it was surely a perfect one. Malta was a new country for both of us, and the trip turned out to be an experience for both of us!

Valletta – the capital city of Malta

As the title says, Valletta is the capital city of Malta and is located in the coastal area on the east side of the island. A fortress city, the now capital, dates back to 1500’s and was built in just fifteen years! Impressive, huh?

The city is small in size, well, the whole island is small in general! The size of Malta in width is the only 14.5km, and in height it is 27km. Crazy, right? The island is that small so of course, we didn’t expect much when we decided to visit Valletta.

But of course, as always, we were surprised by our lack of curiosity because Valletta turned out to be a heck of a place! Not only its architecture is beautiful, but the whole fortress has also this laid-back vibes you’ll never find from other capital cities in Europe. #IslandLife

We initially wanted to stay in Valletta but ended up staying at Buġibba, the haven for retired British seniors, and though it was quiet at night – we did wish we stayed in Valletta. Not only there are tons of happenings and things to do in Valletta but also there is quite a bit of nightlife to keep our young souls running at night (if you know what I mean). However, in Buġibba, well, old folks sleep and rise early. Can’t blame them.

Mdina and Rabat – the old capital and silent city of Malta

Before they moved the capital city title to Valetta, Mdina was the old capital of Malta. An impressive ancient walled city for the nobles that dates back to 60 A.D, there are proofs that the city has been on the island for a very long time. Talk about historical, eh?

Walking on the cobblestones of Mdina and inhaling positive vibes the air is filled with, and that also made me wonder, who were the ancient people who once walked on these roads? It was such an experience because the whole city will transport you back in time, or at least makes you feel so.

St. Julian’s and Paceville – where the young never sleeps

Just about 9km from Valletta, the capital of Malta, will take you to St. Julian’s and Paceville – the place where life happens after 10 pm. Possibly the busiest place in the whole island and as well where most tourist flocks their way in for some fun.

We were in St. Julian’s twice, once during the afternoons on our way to Valletta and second for a night out since Buġibba only have few bars open after 10 pm and are often playing songs from the 60’s. We wanted to see the night life in Malta and boy were we not disappointed!

St. Julian’s at night turns into a wild scene of tourists from around the world either they are there to polish their English or just passing by, just like us. There are tons of different bars and restaurants to go to which are all unique and your needs will surely be satisfied with no problem.

Marsaxlokk – a traditional fishing village

Located in the southern part of the island, Marsaxlokk is a fishing village where you’ll find tons of colorful boats and as well the beautiful Mediterranean sea! You must check out the Sunday fish market, but you have to be early – it is all worth it though so it should be on your list of things to do in Malta.

Plus, Marsaxlokk is a beautiful coastal area you’ll not regret visiting so might as well do that on a Sunday where you’ll see local fishermen with their fresh catch. If you have an apartment, you can even buy the produce to cook yourself. We didn’t purchase anything since Buġibba was a bit of a ride away from Marsaxlokk and it can be hot during the afternoons to carry fresh fish with you.

Popeyes Village – have a bit of fun and be a kid again!

On our second last day in our fun visit to Malta, I dragged my partner to Popeyes Village to rekindle with the kids in us. He didn’t like the idea of going to the amusement park since he didn’t grow up watching the Popeye cartoons, but I did and since I’m the principal organizer – he had no say in it.

I loved Popeye, and it was a surprise to me that they filmed it in Malta! We took a bus from Buġibba to Mellieħa which took about 20 minutes and we were transported to a whole new world – a place that only usually exist in my imagination.

Popeyes Village in Malta is not only for kids guys but also for adults who are kids inside. We had a blast while in there! I don’t even know if kids today knows Popeyes, but I wish they do.

Comino Island – where you can swim to clear blue waters of the blue lagoon

Comino Island was the highlight of our trip to Malta and not only because we scored a place in a party boat where there’s an open bar included in your entrance fee, but also because the whole island is a piece of gem!

The entire island is only 3.5 sq.km, sandwiched between Malta and Gozo and is uninhabited by anyone. You go there with a boat, but you’re not allowed to stay for the night unless you’re staying at the only functioning hotel in the island. We almost spent a night at Comino because we almost missed our boat! Fun times. Always.

Anyways, Malta as a country is famous for the Blue Lagoon, the gorgeous clear waters of the Mediterranean with lush turquoise color that would not only make your soul happy but also the mermaid in you because you can swim there too, so bring your swimming suits!

Gozo Island – Malta’s sister island

Gozo is the sister island of Malta, and unlike Comino, Gozo is inhabited. In fact, there are many things to do in Gozo! For instance, I saw tons of tourists cycling around the island and as well plenty of churches, small villages, and even wine yards.

In Gozo you find what the island is famous for – the Azure Window, if it doesn’t look familiar to you, then you probably haven’t seen the famous scene in Game of Thrones during Daenerys and Khal Drogo’s wedding.

Also, some of Gozo’s attractions is the island’s capital – Victoria. Just like Valletta and Mdina, Victoria also encompasses the ancient vibes that vibrate around the city walls.

TRAVEL TIPS FOR MALTA

How to get around Malta?

Buses and taxis are the popular way to get around Malta and boats between the major islands.

I’m going to tell you now, traveling around Malta could be frustrating because even though the distance from each place doesn’t sound far, it does take a freaking long time to get to point B from point A so I’m telling you now – patience is much needed! Remember that #IslandLife is a lifestyle, not just a hashtag.

For instance, Buġibba to Mdina should only take about 14 minutes bus ride since they only have about 8km distance between them. However, it took us a whooping half an hour to get there! I’m not even going to get into details, the buses and bus drivers are so chill which made me wonder why there’s such thing as bus schedules posted at each bus stop.

Don’t let the distances food you no matter what, even if it says it is only about 5km away, it will still take you ages to get to your destination. You’ll get used to it, though! The laid-back lifestyle in Malta is so easy to adapt.

Where to stay in Malta?

Our accommodation in Malta was an apartment hotel which was both convenient and comfortable. I couldn’t miss the chance of heading out to the market, buy fresh and local produce, and cook for us! However, many accommodation choices in Malta can cater your needs.

The location of the place is also vital if you’re planning and as well what are your needs. For instance, we booked our apartment hotel in Buġibba and though it is a fantastic place overseeing the clear blue waters from our balcony and the quaint, quiet nights – it was certainly not for us. We needed the night life and as well the pubs where you can meet and interact with people.

Sure, we did interact with the residents of Buġibba, but they are mostly seniors who have an early bed time call. They were so cool, though! But even the thought we were in the wrong area of the island.

Awesome tours to do in Malta?

Sometimes if you’re in a foreign country and is unsure what to do or has not researched that much but have a bit of budget to spend, then I suggest being part of some tours. Joining tours do not necessarily mean you’re not getting the “experience, ” and I think that is a misconception, and personally, I enjoy going to tours if I have enough cash to splurge. Not only I get to save some time, but I also get to do and see what I anyways wanted to do. Sometimes you have to weigh down your decisions!

If you’re on holiday in Malta for a short period, I suggest taking part in some of these tours:

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Hi, Vikki! I recommend staying on the main island as there’s more to see and more things to do and you won’t need to ride the ferry every day to check out these places. It would take you only one day to explore Gozo and Comino! That said, renting a car is great if you’re planning to explore a lot and don’t want to wait for the buses (they are unreliable and often late).

Hi Lore! Unfortunately I don’t know the name of the party boat, at the time of my visit I wasn’t really documenting my visit as I was not a blogger yet. But one thing I can assure you is that there are tons of this in Malta! We just found and bought our tour randomly from a local tour company two blocks from our hotel.

My husband and I just spent five days in Malta. It is a beautiful holiday spot, even though many popular areas were very crowded at this peak time of year. We created several YouTube videos featuring advice about food, tours, and things to do. Our favourite was the Game of Thrones Tour, which I have reviewed on my blog and YouTube channel. However, we would not stay in Valletta again. Although it has many excellent restaurants, it has so many stairs and steep streets, we didn’t feel that paired very well with night life. But, we would certainly return to Malta for another holiday for so many reasons!

Me and my son went Malta last year on his birthday. Most of the Hotels are wheelchair friendly and transportation as well. WE had a great time there and for once we actually felt normal. Which is priceless for us.